SCOPE ART SHOW IS LOOKING FOR THE NEXT BIG ARTIST

When the annual Scope Art Show opens in New York in March, it won't just feature works by established artists, but will also help to break the next big name, thanks to Artists Wanted.

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The members-based organization has announced an open call to all creatives, offering them a spot at a Scope booth (plus cash prizes, to boot). "It's an outlet for our artists and our network to have another chance to show and participate," explains William Etundi, the co-founder and creative director of Artists Wanted. It's not the first time that the group has teamed up with Scope, but this year's iteration of Year in Review (as the competition is called) boasts a who's-who list of judges, including the founder and the show director of Scope, executive directors from Printed Matter and New York Foundation for the Arts, and the curatorial assistant at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

For those interested in wooing the judges, Etundi has the following advice: "The grander ideas are what we're looking for—even if it doesn't make sense to a booth, traditionally, we find a way to make it work." He also noted that while pieces don't need to be political, they should be "deeper than just an aesthetic experience; we like things to have a feeling of a story, something that speaks beyond the canvas." Part of the appeal with Artists Wanted for non-traditional artists is that since the organization isn't a gallery, it's not just looking for pieces that will sell. "We can take more chances with the art that we show," notes Etundi.

With 175,000 people on the Artists Wanted email list and 350,000 visitors to Scope Art Shows last year, the winners can expect some serious exposure. "Because we have such a large following, our artists have really launched their careers," says Etundi, adding, "It's a little overwhelming how much attention they get after!"

For more information or to enter (Artists Wanted is accepting entries through January 31), visit artistswanted.org/yearinreview.